Jaclyn McCosker

Jun 19 Winter Roadtrip Packing List: Australia in June!

I knew I had a two-week winter road trip down the East Coast of Australia coming up. So me being me, of course, I went looking for packing lists. The minimalist in me craves someone to tell me how many pairs of clothing I need and to tell me how much stuff is too much. Unfortunately, I struggled to find anything like I was looking for. "Van packing list"? No luck. "Australia in Winter packing list"? A little luck, but they were aimed at short city vacations, nothing minimalist enough for van life. So me being me, of course, I've written my own!

Tim and I have been on a roadtrip with a JUCY campervan since June 16th. We're on a two-week drive from Brisbane, QLD to Melbourne, VIC taking us through temperature averages of 4-21 degrees. (Yes, that's a four!) This required some bulkier packing than normal with a raincoat, warm layers, bed socks, and beanies.

We've caught the train to pick up the van, are driving to Melbourne, then flying back with checked luggage. This means we're sticking to two carry-ons plus one checked bag! Important to note: JUCY provided the basics like towels, linen and cutlery which is why I didn't need to account for those things.

Below where you see a word is blue, I've linked to the brand or exact product I use. Without further ado, here is my packing list.

Was there anything I didn't need to pack? It probably seems like a lot of stuff because a lot of our toiletries, electronics and 'extras' are shared between two people so will be split between our three bags. We share toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, etc.

And sure, those yoga mats and reusable products take up a lot of room and mightn't have seemed necessary for you, the reader, if you're just trying to pack ultralight. But since our transport is our accommodation, we have a little more room than a backpacker and because these items are important to our mindful lifestyle, we chose to add the third bag to fit them. Tim has a backpack and my bag is on wheels so the third duffel bag is easy to transport. Plus, I was happy to trade a change of outfit for sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic items.

You'll save a lot of space if you don’t pack laptops, yoga mats or bottles of shampoo and conditioner. (I just haven’t found any shampoo bars that work for me personally, but are the best eco and travel option). However, we found room for all of this in our JUCY campervan!

What about you, have you done a similar roadie? Did you take anything you thought was important that I didn't think of? What are your different priorities when it comes to packing?

I absolutely love packing so I'd like to hear your input. Leave a comment below or comment on the social media post that brought you here!